Bag holder



Nov. 4, 15947.

L. J. VNOWAK, .JR

BAG HOLDER 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1945 Nov. 4, -1947.

L. J. NowAK, JR

BAG HOLDER 2 sheets-sheet 2` Filed Feb. 5, 1945 l'['lllllllllllllllllIIIIIIII- Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES ATENTOFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in bag holders and has for onepurpose to provide an improved method of and means for holding bags onmembers such as grain spouts, dust spouts and the like.

Another purpose is to provide bag supporting or bag securing means ofsufficient strength to hold the bag during the course of lling, and whenlled.

Another purpose is to provide bag holding or supporting means whicheliminate bag tearing or cutting.

Another purpo-se is to provide bag securing or holding means which canbe quickly and safely employed by a user, without risk of injury to theuser.

Another purpose is to provide bag holding means which are quick andeicient in operation.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespeciiication and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in` theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation on a reduced scale; and

Figure A is a diagrammatic illustration of the mode of operation of thebag holder, taken substantially at line flof Figure 3.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughoutthe specification anddrawings.

Referring to the drawings l generally indin cates the lower generallycylindrical portion of4 a feed spout having a bottom or bag securingange 2 and an upper positioning flange 3 eX tending outwardly from thespout itself. '-l generally indicates a support or base which may besecured to the spout for example by positioning anges 5 and rivets orother securing vmeans The support il is shown as having a lateral exetension l. Mounted on the support are two pairs of flanged rollers orguides 3 which serve to guide and position a longitudinally movableflanged rack bar 9 having the driving rack lo arranged along one edgeand teeth I I along the other. The rack bar 9 is normally urged againstany suitable limiting stop I2 by the action of the coil spring i3 whichis anchored at one end, as by the pin iii,

2 on the base extension I and is secured at the other end, as by the pinI5, to the outer end of the rack bar 9. I5a is any suitable handlewhereby the user can manipulate the rack bar. In mesh with the rack I0is the pinion I6 mounted on a shaft Il which is supported in anysuitable bearing in the support or base 4 including a down wardlyextending portion I8. The shaft Il carries at its lower end a flange ordisc I9 with a pair of downwardly extending pins 20, 20a. The dog 2lpivoted as at 22 on the base Il is normally urged by the spring 23 intoengagement with the teeth l i, whereby it is adapted to prevent thespring i3 from moving the rack bar 9 to the right, referring to theposition of the parts Ain Figures l1 and 2. 24 is a. handle whereby theoperator can move the dog 2| to inoperative position when a return ofthev rack bar 9 to its initial position Ais desired. In the particularform of the device herein shown, a cylindrical portion I of the spout isrecessed as at 30, to form an arcuate concave walled space to receivepart of the lange I9 and to permit the center of rotation of the pincarry'- ing ilange IS to be somewhat closer to the center of the spout.

In the use of my device the user threads the empty bag 35 about thespout I. To insure a proper positioning of the bag he may employ theupper ange 3 as a gauging means, holding the bag with its upper edge atthe vlevel of the lower side of the ange 3. At the same time vhe threadsthe edge of vthe -bag between the pins Z0 and 20a, as shown in Figure 3.He then pulls the rack bar 9 to the left, referring to the position ofparts as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The

result is a rotation of the gear I and thus of the pins -20 and 20athrough several revolutions. Since the rupper edge of the bag is betweenthe two pins the result is to wind in the slack of the bag and totension the bag tightly about the exterior of the spout l Since thistensioning takes place above the flange 2, that flange vforms aneffective supporting means for preventing the bag from escapingdownwardly. The supporting or locking effect is suflicient to permit thebag to support its own weight and the weight ofthe charge delivered toits interior through the spout I. While it is receiving the charge it iskept locked innposition 2i by the engagement of the dog with the :teethII. The means for controlling the flow of the charge through the spout Ido not form part of the present invention and are not herein describedor shown.

After any suitable charge has been delivered to the interior of the bag,and after the delivery of material has terminated, the bag can bereleased by the operator by so moving the handle 24 as to Withdraw thedog 2| from the teeth II. The action of the spring I3, and the tensionof the bag itself are then effective to cause the rack bar 9 to movetoward the right and to unreel or release the slack of the bag. Anysuitable means not herein shown may therefore be used to close the bag.Or the bag, with its top open, may be dropped on Aany suitable supportor conveyor and be removed elsewhere for further handling or treatment.

It will be understood that whereas I show only one of the twistingmechanisms above described, two or more may be employed, preferablyunitarily rotated by or through any suitable driving connection. It willalso be understood that the particular driving means illustrated is butone of a number which might; be employed. I may for example employ apositive drive for the rack bar 9,.controlled in any suitable manner bythe operator.. I may for example employy a pneumatic or hydraulic systemfor moving the rack bar in the desired direction. Any suitableV returnmeans may also be employed to take the place of the spring I3. l l

Itwillber realized that, whereas I have described and -illustrated apractical and operative device, .nevertheless many changes may be madein the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description anddrawings to be.y taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic,rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

For example the shape and nature of the twisting element may be widelyvaried, and the means for preventing the escape of the tensioned bag topfrom the spout may be widely varied. I may employ, a bell mouthed spoutor a spout having a ,variety of outwardly extending bag grippingelements, orY a roughening of the outer .surface ofthe` spout. I mayemploy `frictional material on the spout or on the bag or on both.

' Where I employ the term tensioning in connection with the reduction ofthe effective circumference of the bag it will be understood that I donot wish the term to be limited specifically to subjecting the bag topositive tensioning about the support. For example, in relation to thestructure as shown, the spout I, or other support to which the bag issecured, has an outwardly extending lower enlargement or flange 2. Withreference for example to Figure l, if the pins 20 and 20a are rotatedsuiciently to reduce the effective circumference of the neck of the bagto less than the circumference of the flange 2, than the gravital pullof the bag, and of the charge in the bag, will be effective to draw thereduced part of the bag downwardly against the flange 2.

evenpthough the bag is` not positively tensioned about the exterior ofthe sleeve I, downward escape ofthe bag over the flange 2 `will beprevented, and the weight of material in the bag will maintain a tightthrust of the bag against the edge of the flange 2 which is effective toprevent the escape of any substantialv amount of dust, or of the chargeitself where light or powdered material is being delivered. I intend thelanguage of the claimstobe .interpreted in connection with this fact. Itis not necessary, although it may be desirable, positively to tensionthe bag around the exterior of the spout or support I.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

My invention may be advantageously employed as a bag support or holderfor holding a bag in position in relation to a spout through which acharge of material is delivered to the interior of the bag. When so usedthe loose neck of the bag is tensioned about the exterior of the spout,with the flange 2 preventing the bag from escaping from the bottom ofthe spout. When the bag is thus locked in position, with the dog 2Iholding the rack bar 9 in the locking position, a charge of material isdropped into the bag. The bags used are preferably of material strongenough to support the Weight of the charge, and

the entire weight of the filled bag is taken by the end of the spout andthe flange 2. The filled bag is thus suspended by its upper edge orneck. The bag may be filled over any suitable support, for example theconveyor generally indicated at 50 in Figure 3. When the bag is filled,the user can drop it on the conveyor by merely releasing the dog 2I bymanipulating the handle 24. When the dog 2l is released the spring I3,and the tension of the bag, are effective to unwind the pins 20, 20a ortheir equivalent. The bag is then free to drop by gravity upon theconveyor 5D, which carries it out of vertical alignment with the spout,for further handling or disposal.

I claim:

1. In a bag holding assembly, a support for the bag having a generallyperipherally continuous bag supporting fiange adapted to enter the openmouth of and lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the bag, a bag twister having fingers located above the flange,one finger adapted to engage the inside, another the outside of thematerial of the bag mouth, means for rotating the fingers to twist thematerial and fold it upon itself to constrict the bag mouth above theflange, the axis of rotation of the twister being located inside theperiphery of the iiange and so disposed with respect to the flange thatafter the twist has been made, the twisted portion of the bag below theends of the fingers lies entirely inside and above the outer peripheryof the fange.

2. In a bag holding assembly, a support for th bag having a generallyperipherally continuous bag supporting flange adapted to enter the openmouth of and lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the bag, a bag twister having fingers located above the flange,one finger adapted to engage the inside, another the outside of thematerial of the bag mouth, means for rotating the ngers to twist thematerial and fold it upon itself to constrict the bag mouth above theflange, the axis of rotation of the twister being located inside theperiphery of the flange and so disposed with respect to the flange thatafter the twist has been made, the twisted portion of the bag below theends of the fingers lies entirely inside and above the outer peripheryof the flange, the lingers being downwardly extending and terminatingabove the flange at such a distance that the twisted portion of the bagbelow the finger ends terminates immediately ad jacent the upper surfaceof the flange,

3. A bag holding assembly, including a spout, a bag supporting flangeextending radially from and about it, having an upper surface generally6 perpendicular to the outer wail of the spout, REFERENCES CITEDtwisting means having nngers located entirely The following referencesare of record 1n the above the upper surface of the flange, one nger fueof this patent: adapted to engage the inside, another the outside of thematerial of the bag at the mouth, means 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS forrotating the twister to cause the fingers to Number Name Date twist thematerial and fold it upon itself to con- 768018 ROSS Aug 16, 1904 strictthe bag mouth upon the spout above the 2,100,501 Bennett N0V 30, 1937flange, the axis of rotation of the twister being 1,554,550 Bergers619022, 1925 located inside the periphery of the flange and the 102,039,561 Sharkey May 5, 1935 twisted portion of the bag below thefingers lying 1,154,722 Penrod Sept 2gJ 1915 entirely inside the outerperiphery of the flange. 1,231,028 Kruse Oct. 8, 1918 2,058,431Eschenbacher Oct. 27, 1936 LEON J- NOWAK, JR 608,853 Graves Aug. 9, 1898

